The present invention relates broadly to apparatus for selectively enclosing the space between the floor and the ground of a structure having a floor supported above the ground surface. In particular, the present invention relates to retractable mobile home skirting that is easily and conveniently stored when the mobile home is in the travel mode, and which may be lowered to enclose the space beneath the mobile home when the mobile home is at a stationary site.
Frequently, it is desirable to enclose the space immediately below a structure which is supported above the ground surface in order to prevent drafts underneath the structure and to improve the appearance thereof. In the case of mobile homes or mobile house trailers, it is desirable to have a trailer skirting which may be easily and readily lowered into engagement with the ground to enclose the space beneath the trailer. The skirting should be retractable to a storage location providing maximum ground clearance when the mobile home is prepared for the travel mode.
A number of prior art mobile home skirting apparatus have been proposed. In several of these structures, the skirting is detached from the mobile home when the mobile home is in the travel mode. Thus, when the mobile home reaches the desired stationary site, time must be consumed in a somewhat mechanically complex procedure of attaching the trailer home skirting. In still other prior art devices, the trailer home skirting is permanently secured to the bottom of the trailer home frame or floor and has a sliding portion which can further be extended into ground contact. However, in these prior art structures in which at least a portion of the skirting panels are permanently secured to extend beyond the bottom of the mobile home floor, the ground clearance of the mobile home in the travel mode is severely limited. Some prior art structures are hinged to the mobile home frame for rotation to a position where the skirting is stored beneath the mobile home floor in the travel mode. These structures also have the disadvantage of somewhat limited ground clearance in addition to providing a somewhat unsightly appearance when the mobile home is under travel. These structures are also significantly more mechanically complex than the present invention, requiring additional operator maintenance procedures.
The present invention eliminates these disadvantages associated with the prior art devices in that it is a skirting that may be retracted to an entirely concealed storage position such that the skirting in the travel mode does not extend beyond the bottom of the mobile home floor. When the mobile home reaches the desired stationary site, the skirting is simply lowered into engagement with the ground to enclose the space between the ground and the mobile home floor and to provide a pleasing exterior appearance. The present invention includes skirting panels that are stored within spaces defined by the mobile home wall and exterior siding, thus eliminating the storage problem of the prior art apparatus that must be detached from the mobile home and stored in some location while the mobile home is undergoing travel. The present invention incorporates a minimum of mechanical parts and is therefore substantially maintenance free.